Well, the 3-game Lakers' slide came mercifully to a halt Tues. nite with win over Knicks.

The recent losses came against hi-quality opponents, and it didn't get any easier, tipping off grueling 9-game road trip against the perennially efficient Detroit Pistons.

Luke Walton adds to list of injured players who won't play.

Consensus is Odom needs to consistently play with the 22 pts./12 rebounds he produced against Knicks. In other words, more points, fewer assists.

So we'll keep an eye on the Odom-eter.

Fish swishes a long 2 first, 2-0.

Both teams fail to score for a few mins., till Kobe feeds Kwame, 4-0.

Pistons stave off a shut-out, ha ha, with a Billups slash and stash.

Oops, don't sneeze again, the Motor City Boyz just went on a 10-0 run; 10-4, Pistons.

Continue reading "PISTONS ESCAPE, LEAVE LAKERS WITH TOUGH ROAD LOSS"

The Lakers' rapturous Kobe-powered 121-101 win over the Raptors was no doubt fueled by the trade made for Pau Gasol -- aptly-named. With rock-steady veteran AND current season avgs. of 19 pts. and 9 rebounds, he is precisely the pow and gas the Lakers need to fill the void left by the injured absence of the newly-emergent Andrew Bynum.

I paid little attention to the Raptors game, knowing all along the Lakers would win, and enjoying the odd good news of a big-time trade overshadowing a winning road performance, one they really needed.

I'd never heard of Pau Gasol before. 7 ft. all-star center-forward, recently of the Memphis Grizzlies, by way of Barcelona.

Consensus is he has just the right numbers, he's still young, he's consistent, diverse, talented, with a good basketball IQ. And that he might actually give books to Phil Jackson, rather than automatically the other way around.

Continue reading "TRIUMPH OVER TORONTO TRUMPED BY PAU GASOL TRADE"

Much awaited Pau Gasol debut against New Jersey? Simply mah-velous!

Looked pretty sound on a few scores, boards, passes, right away. Had to sit a bit, early foul trouble.

Defensive game early against Nets, 47-47 at the half.

Kobe dislocated a lower pinkie joint, which may affect his shooting.

Pau's delivering nicely, even in his first game as a Laker, 20 pts./10 rebounds with 5+ mins. left in game.

93-83 Lakers, with 3+ mins. left.

Kobe had an off night shooting, maybe it's

Continue reading "PAU GASOL'S DEBUT A RESOUNDING SUCCESS"

 Thank the basketball gods, Kobe found a better pinkie-taping arrangement.

After 2 games of anemic point production with his ring finger taped to the dislocated pinkie on his right hand, he and presumably the Lakers trainer, came up with tape support that separated the fingers, so he'd have a more natural touch again, despite the injury.

Result: 36 pts., 10 rebounds, and a Lakers victory, making for a 4-2 record, with 3 games remaining on this extended road trip.

Lakers were double-digit outscored by the Orlando Magic in the 1st quarter, returned the favor in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, and were outscored by 7 in the 4th, with the net result being a 4-point victory.

Also quite notable was the great new Laker Pau Gasol's 30 pt., 9 rebound contribution, after a slight dip in production in the Lakers shoulda-won-this-one-too narrow loss to Atlanta the game before.

Continue reading "LAKERS OUT-ENSORCEL MAGIC, 117-113"

The 35-17 Lakers continued to roll with a blow-out of the T-Wolves Wednesday, with the line-up doing their jobs superbly.

What's becoming a bit more worrisome for the Lakers Finals quest than Bynum's knee rehab, Shaq rumbling for Phoenix, or whether Dallas can salvage the Jason Kidd trade debacle, however, is the diagnosis on Kobe's injured right pinky.

"Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has been diagnosed with a complete tear of the radial collateral ligament, an avulsion fracture, and a volar plate injury at the MCP joint of the small finger of this right hand, it was announced today. The damage occurred when Bryant dislocated the finger in the Lakers’ game at New Jersey on February 5, and was aggravated in last night’s game at Minnesota."

Continue reading "WILL LAKERS' FORTITUDE & FORTUNES FIND FAVOR WITH THE FICKLE FINGER OF FATE?"

Heavyweights, blow for blow.

19-18 Phoenix, 4:13 left in the 1st.

D-Fish at the FT line. 20-19 Lakers.

Shaq tosses up a brick; condor-winged Lamar gets the roll from soft touch inside, on the other end. 22-19 LAL.

This is a rockin' matchup, and the score shows it.

Kobe drives and slams. Finger-lickin' good. Some Sun scores.

Kobe scores again. 26-21. Nash throws it away, Lakers ball.

I missed the next play, Shaq ends up stuffin' it for the Suns, gets fouled, misses the FT. 26-23 Lakers.

Jump ball.

Shaq ends up at foul line again, makes 1 of 2. But 28-24, 'cause Kobe scores again.

Back and forth, strong D, finally, Barbosa nails a 3 for the Suns, 29-29.

Phenomenal super dunk by Kobe (f*ck the finger prob) to close the 1st quarter, Lakers 32-29 over the Suns.

Continue reading "LAKERS ON A ROLL, NOW RULE, TAKE PAC DIV LEAD IN THE VALLEY OF THE SUNS, 130-124."